Youth America Grand Prix 2007 Gala

New York City Center130 West 56th Street(Audience Entrance is on West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues)(Entrance for Studios and Offices is on West 56th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues)New York, NY 10019212.247.0430

Company members of MOMIX"Moonbeams" from "Lunar Sea", Choreography: Moses Pendleton, Music: Kevin Dooley, The Star Seeds

Each year, the winners of the Youth America Grand Prix, founded by dancers, Gennadi Saveliev and Larissa Saveliev, perform in the first act of the Gala, "Stars of Tomorrow", followed by a Grand Defile of all the YAGP participants. Then, after intermission, in "Stars of Today", renowned ballet and modern performers, from all over the globe, entertain the crowd with stunning sensation. In fact, the Act I participants, as well, are from all over the globe, with a wide range of ages. From what was seen tonight, ballet and modern dance fans have much to look forward to, as talent abounded, from the youngest to the upper teens. Dancers from Brazil, Portugal, and Japan, as well as from numerous countries and US States, received a rousing (sometimes very rousing) welcome from this sold-out crowd.

Tomoha Terada, a 12 year-old male dancer from Japan, was exceptionally poised and balanced, in "Coppélia", with personality added. Also from Japan were Yoshikazu Asada, 18, dancing "La Sylphide" with elegance and virtuosity, and Megumi Horiuchi, 14, dancing "Harlequinade" in a striking purple tutu. From Mexico, we were treated to an ensemble called Formento Artistico Cordobes, with numerous female youths dressed as fairy sprites, wings and hair curls, crawling and marching in groupings and lines, with expressive attitude and aplomb. Kiril Kulish, a 12 year-old male, from San Diego, danced "Le Corsaire" like a pro, with the mid-air leaps and swirling landings. From Brazil, Aurora Dickie, 18, performed a rapid "Don Quixote" variation, and from New York, Whitney Jensen, 14, a student of Valentina Kozlova, danced the pas de deux from "Pharaoh's Daughter" with non-competing, Reyneris Reyes of Boston Ballet. Ms. Jensen gave a bravura performance, with grace, elegance, and skill.

In the modern genre, Camille Bracher, 15, from Ballet Theatre Afrikan, danced "Age of Noise", choreographed by Kitty Phetla. Act I ended with the Grand Defile, again choreographed by Carlos do Santos, Jr., and all the YAGP participants danced in small and large ensembles, creating scintillating imagery and warmth, as these youths represent North, South, East, and West USA, South America, Europe, Asia, and more. With such an array of talent and such an eclectic series of dances, it is impressive each year that the winning performances are so well staged and danced with persuasion and passion. All dancers commanded City Center stage with ease and energy. Desmond Richardson, Co-Founder (with Dwight Rhoden) of Complexions Contemporary Ballet, served as host and announcer, and he was generous in his comments and gratitude.

Act II, "Stars of Today", had many highlights, including Ashley Bouder (NYC Ballet) and Joseph Phillips (San Francisco Ballet) in Balanchine's "Stars and Stripes", reviewed many times in this magazine. Mr. Philips was new in the role to this NY audience, and he was a perfect partner for the buoyant and confident Ms. Bouder. Paloma Herrera (ABT) was partnered by Nikolaj Hübbe (NYC Ballet) for "Rubies," and, Mr. Hübbe was able to keep the rapid momentum working in the new, staccato role for Ms. Herrera. Stars of Paris Opera Ballet, Aurelie Dupont and Manuel Legris, created a sensation in two dances tonight: "Petite Mort" (Kylian) and "La Dame aux Camélias" (Neumeier). I found the second especially rapturous, with impassioned leaps and lifts, presented at the end of a very long evening. Gennadi Saveliev and Xiomara Reyes (both of ABT) were, as always, exceptionally charismatic in "Spring Waters", by Asaf Messerer. This unusual work, to a Rachmaninoff score, showcased the enormous talent of these two virtuosos.

MOMIX dancers brought giant rubber balls onstage (for "Moonbeams") as props in gravity-defying movement, and Complexions Contemporary Ballet danced a new work, "Choke", choreographed by Dwight Rhoden to a score by YAGP Director of PR, Sergey Gordeev, all electronic and dynamically driven. The dance, as well, exuded propulsive abandon. From Rio de Janeiro, Cecilia Kerche and Vitor Luiz danced Perrot's "La Esmeralda" with presence, but "Mona Lisa", a stark, modern premiere, by Itzik Galili, brought the Stuttgart dancers, Alicia Amatriain and Jason Reilly, remarkable audience approval, with the long-limbed ballerina tossing legs and arms like human scissors. Another extraordinary premiere was Benjamin Millepied's (NYC Ballet) "Quiet Music" for ABT dancers Isabella Boylston and David Hallberg, performed to live piano music by Nico Muhly. Both dancers brought a welcome, warm hush to the audience, in this breathtaking pas de deux. The finale, "Le Corsaire" pas de deux (Royal Ballet), was exciting and, as always, energizing, with the ballerina, Marianela Nuñez, spinning endlessly and effortlessly, and her partner, Thiago Soares, commanding mid-air.

Kudos to YAGP's Larissa Saveliev, Gennadi Saveliev, Susan Jaffe, and Sergey Gordeev, and kudos to all the Stars of Tomorrow and Stars of Today.